


Asterism

by Hedgi



Series: Apastron [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family, Gen, Implied Medical Experimentation, Pre-Season 1, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-09-27 17:48:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10036958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hedgi/pseuds/Hedgi
Summary: Asterism: noun. A prominent pattern of stars, smaller than a constellation.Eliza knows that taking in the captive Kryptonian J'onn has told her about will not be easy: and that's only if they can actually rescue her.Alex knows her entire world is changing the minute her mother asks her if she remembers the stories she told her about helping Superman.They both know they can't do anything differently.





	

  
  


Alex abandoned her history homework more than willingly when her mother had called her out onto the porch to look at stars.  She’d grown up staying out late whenever the sky was clear enough, and her classmates in grade school had always loved her birthday parties, backyard campouts where Jeremiah would show them all how to find different patterns in the stars. In the three years since his death, Alex and her mother had only gone stargazing once or twice. Some of the magic was lost, and it was as the constellations were incomplete without him to point out where the anchor stars were. Still, these were cherished memories, and to refuse would hurt them both, so Alex went. She didn’t want to finish her paper on stone Olmec heads anyway. 

 

Her mother offered her a mug of hot chocolate, sitting with the telescope pointed at the sky. Alex sat, looking up unaided, picking out Orion, Aldebaran, the Pleiades. She’d only ever been able to find six of them, even when they shone brightest, even with her father’s hand guiding the telescope. Alex took a deep breath and a sip of the hot chocolate, marshmallow foam sticking to her upper lip. 

 

After a long moment, her mother spoke.

“Alex, you remember the stories your father and I told you about Superman?”

Alex nodded, not looking away from the Seven Sisters. She remembered. Her parents had told her the stories starting when she was little, about brave, clever scientists who helped the man of Steel discover his powers, about where he’d come from. She’d known it was just to help a scared little girl, to show that everyone could be a hero and that even heroes got scared or sad or lost. Just stories to protect her from the monsters under the bed. That kind of monster meant nothing to her, now, not when car crashes and work accidents were the reality. 

“Alexandra,” her mother hesitated, and Alex finally tore her gaze back to earth, looking at her mother in the dim light the upper windows let out onto the porch. Her voice sounded like it had when she’d come in one morning to tell her that Dad was gone.

“Mom?” Alex asked, jumping from bad conclusion to worse scenario. 

“They weren’t just stories. Oh, your dad embellished them, gave them little morals and things. but...Your father and I really did help him. Superman.” 

Alex blinked. It wasn’t that hard to take in, not really, not in comparison to the way her mother’s voice was tight and trembling. 

Eliza Danvers sighed. “ There’s a little girl. Like him, but...she’s maybe your age. A...a man who worked with your dad, a friend of your dad, came to me for help. While you were at school. This girl, she’s been very badly hurt, and your dad’s friend, John, he can’t help her by himself.”

“What are you talking about?” Alex asked, shaking her head. It  _ sounded _ like her mom was a  _ spy  _ or something, but that was ridiculous. 

“Alex, I don’t mean she needs help understanding her powers. This girl has been...tortured. For at least two years. John needs me--needs us--to look after her. He’s going to break her out, but he can’t protect her once he does. I know it’s unfair to put you in this position, Alexandra, but…”

“You’re  _ leaving?”  _ Alex gasped, as if she’d just been suckerpunched. 

“ _ No,” _ Eliza shook her head swiftly. “No. I’m bringing her here. Tomorrow. I can arrange for you to stay with someone if it’s too much, this would be a big secret to keep.” 

Alex hugged her mother tightly, shoulders shaking in relief. “But you’ll come back, right?”

“Of course. I promise,” Eliza smoothed her daughter’s hair, hugging back just as fiercely. “I promise. I’m leaving early. I should be home midmorning, with your new sister. She’s going to need a lot of help, so I’m going to be counting on you. John says she doesn’t seem to know much English, and…”

“She’s been hurt,” Alex nodded against her mother’s shoulder. “I’ll help you keep her safe. I won’t tell anyone.”

“That’s my girl.”

They stayed out on the porch, not really looking at the stars or speaking, just sitting together, until the hot chocolate ran out, and Alex drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 

Eliza hovered over her sleeping daughter, unsure if she should wake her, before deciding too. If something went wrong, it wouldn’t be fair to leave without a goodbye.  _ Don’t think like that,  _ she scolded herself. 

“Alexandra?” she put a hand on Alex’s blanket covered shoulder. “I have to leave.”

“Can I come?” Alex asked, sitting up. Eliza shook her head. 

“No, sweetie. It’s dangerous. I have to know you’re safe...and that you’ll do something for me if I don’t come home soon.”

“Come after you?” Alex asked. Eliza spared a glance for the collection of science fiction and fantasy novels on the bookshelf. No doubt they were in part to blame.

“No. Alex, promise me you won’t. You aren’t even legal to drive.”

“Promise,” Alex said, and Eliza was sure the thickness in her voice had nothing to do with sleepiness. 

“If I don’t come back by noon, I need you to call the Daily Planet in Metropolis. Ask for Clark Kent, and tell him who you are and that I told you to call. He can contact Superman.”

“Why not just get him to  go after the girl, then? Why do you have to risk…” Alex frowned.

Eliza shook her head. “The people who have her have things that can hurt superman, and he’s not very sneaky. It’s better to try to sneak her out, first. I’ll be back in a few hours. Do you think you could try to get the guest room ready? I started yesterday, but…”

“I will,” Alex said, sliding out of bed and yawning. “Be careful.”

“Go back to sleep, Alex. It’s going to be a while before I get home. I already emailed your teachers to say you have the flu.”

Eliza knew from the relieved smile on Alex’s face that she was glad for the excuse to skip school, that she’d already been planning on it. She kissed her daughter’s forehead. “I love you, Alex.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

* * *

 

It was a long drive to the place J’onn had told her about, but it went quickly enough. No one but truckers took to these roads so early. Eliza worried the entire way. What if J’onn got caught before he could get the little girl out? What if they were caught on the way to the rendezvous? She parked her car, still worried. There were so many ways this could go wrong. 

 

Slowly, the sun edged over the horizon. The hazy desert sky turned from grey to a soft, pearly pink. Antsy, she abandoned her seat to stand outside, pacing in the soft sandy soil, then got back in. She was waiting outside the car again, feeling the thin warmth of dawn, when she saw movement. Panic saturated her brain until she picked out what was coming closer: not soldiers, but J’onn, half carrying a smaller figure that almost seemed to glow in the sunlight. Eliza gasped and moved forward. Her eyes adjusted, and she realized that the glow came from the dawn, reflecting on the child’s pale skin and dim white garment, which was somewhat tattered. 

 

J’onn held the girl’s hand in one of his own, keeping the other arm around her. When the girl saw her, she gave a small jolt, startled, but her solemn features gave away no fear. Her cheeks were dirty, with clean marks down them where she’d cried. Eliza held out her arms, overcome.

 

“ _ Ehrosh bem _ ,” Eliza had never mastered the language young Clark had told her and Jeremiah about, but she had learned a few of the phrases, and hoped that she said them correctly. It was a greeting, she thought. The child’s eyes met hers, sharp with recognition, and Eliza thought she saw a hint of a smile of relief on the girl’s face. 

 

J’onn had been right. She looked younger than Alex. Fourteen at the most. Eliza would put her closer to twelve, but malnourishment might have done that. 

 

“ _ Ehrosh bem _ ,” the girl said, her voice high. She looked around, suddenly wild, like a bird. Eliza could only pick out one sentence from the babble. “I Ieiu khapodh sem.”

 

“What did she say?” J’onn asked, when Eliza put together the meaning, and her face fell. She reached out her arms again, and this time the girl fell into them.

 

“She wants her mother,” Eliza said, voice soft. “I’m sorry, little one. I’m sorry. There, there. It’s all right.  _ Voi nahn rrip _ .  Dammit, I don’t know enough--  _ khapodh vokai rrip -- _ no, _ vokai rrip khapodh. _ You are safe. I’ll help you.” She rubbed the girl’s back, and could feel her bones.

When she moved back, she pointed at her car. “ I don’t know if you understand, but we have to go, now. Away from this place.  _ Awuhkh.” _

 

The girl looked at the car, suspicion written on her face, then at J’onn. He shook his head, and pointed to Eliza. “I have to make sure no one finds you,” he said, moving his hands awkwardly. “Eliza, er,  _ Voikirium.” _

 

The girl nodded, and allowed Eliza to usher her into the car, though she squeaked when Eliza showed her the buckle. Eliza winced--she should have guessed the poor child had not had good experiences with restraints. Still, she did the buckle up, keeping a slim hand over the latch. Eliza allowed it, hitting the gas. The noise startled the young refugee, and another thought occurred to Eliza. She called herself ten kinds of fool. Sunlight, they were out in sunlight, and had nothing to block her powers. If they were anything like Superman’s… Well, they’d find a way to help soon. They just had to make it home. 

 

Eliza motioned to herself with one hand. “Eliza Danvers,” she said, then pointed to her passenger and tilted her head, hoping the question came across. It did.

 

“Kara Zor-el,” she said, her voice clearer now that she’d drained on of Eliza’s spare water bottles. 

 

“Kara,” Eliza repeated, and smiled, as they drove west, the sun rising higher and higher behind them. 

 

* * *

 

Alex had not slept much. She’d tried, but worry kept her awake like an upset stomach, and she gave up soon after her mother left. The guest room, just next door to her own, was clean, but Alex set to work all the same. 

 

She took her own favorite blanket, one that didn’t match her bedspread but was soft, and laid it across the bed, then made sure the sheets were clean. They were, it had been ages since anyone had stayed in here, but her mom had gotten the dust. Satisfied, Alex went back to her bedroom, and gathered things she wouldn’t miss too much. Carefully, she arranged the stuffed teddy bear atop the pillows, and set to organizing a few of her books on the bedside table. She wasn’t sure if the girl would be able to read, English anyway, so she chose carefully. A Calvin and Hobbes book went next to a few old picture books, a few about ponies, one a Magic School Bus book, and  _ The Very Lonely Firefly _ , all dug out of boxes in her closet. Art supplies went on the desk, a box of crayons Alex had decided she was “too old” for, and a couple half used coloring books. Then she attacked her closet. She’d just had a growth spurt, so anything that didn’t fit went in a pile, and then into the guest room drawers, except for a few of her favorite shirts. She was keeping those. Mostly she took out summer dresses and the too-soft cardigans that were always on sale at target. Alex hated them, but always got at least one for her birthday. Her new sister was more than welcome to them.

 

When she finished making the room as welcoming as possible, she slipped into her mother’s room, and lay on the bed, dozing a little, feeling somehow safer.

 

She woke again after only an hour or two, and went downstairs to the kitchen. It was probably too early to start making breakfast, wasn’t it? Her mom hadn’t said where she was going, just that it was a few hours, but… it had been a few hours. The sun was rising.  _ Mom said, after dawn...I should get started. _

 

What did refugees from other planets, with superpowers, even eat? Probably not plain old mush. Or maybe they did. Alex had read a book where aliens had eaten the main character’s science project, a paper volcano, or something.  She made the oatmeal first, since it was easiest, leaving it in the pot so it would stay warm, and started on pancakes, adding in chocolate chips. A half package of sausages came next, while water boiled for coffee and hot chocolate and tea. Alex eyed her homework, still undone, and moved it off the table.  Then, all there was to do was wait. 

 

She did not have to wait long. She heard the car, and ran out even before it stopped. 

“Mom!”

“Alex,” her mom hugged her, then turned. “This is Kara.”

Alex looked at Kara. She was short, and thin, her feet bare and her hands chapped. Alex reached over to her, and Kara flinched before allowing Alex to take her hand. Alex almost let go out of reflex--how could someone with superpowers be scared of  _ her?--  _ but smiled instead. 

“Hi, Kara. I’m Alexandra. Alex.”

“Hi, Alex,” Kara responded, mimicking Alex’s tone. Alex tugged her toward the house.

“Are you hungry?” she asked.   
Eliza looked at Kara, and stumbled over the question’s translation.

To her surprise, Kara answered Alex. “Yes. Hungry am I.”She furrowed her brow. “I am hungry,” she corrected herself. 

“You can understand?” Eliza asked, opening the front door. Kara nodded. 

“A little,” Kara confirmed, her eyes going wide when she smelled the air. 

“I made breakfast,” Alex said, mixing a water into a mug full of cocoa powder and sugar and handing it off. “For you.” 

Kara took the mug, one of Eliza’s favorites, dark ceramic that changed patterns when it was hot so that constellations appeared on the sides, reverently with both hands. As Eliza filled plates, and Alex handed her exhausted mom her own mug of dark roast coffee, Kara drank. This time, despite her still dirty face, her smile was wide and bright.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment away :)


End file.
